ALTA NEWS June 2013 Volume 20 Issue 2
“I am an ALTA student. Now I can …”
Celebra ng 20 Years — A collabora on piece painted by ALTA Belmont Reading Circle students and guides in celebra on of the ALTA milestone BELMONT 624-2582/3442 Mon-Thurs: altapos@alta- .org 84 Belmont Circular Road 8am-5pm Fri: 8am-4pm SAN FERNANDO 653-4656 Mon & Wed: altasfd@alta- .org St. Paul’s Anglican Church Hall, 8:30am-4:30pm 3rd Floor, 12 Harris Promenade Thurs: 8:30am– 3:30pm Indira Roopan
ARIMA 664-2582 Mon & Wed altaarima@alta- .org Arima PTSC Terminal Mall 8am-3pm Carolyn Hepburn Fri 9am-5pm www.alta- .org
MARK YOUR CALENDARS Successful Tutor Training
Fri 5 July Term 3 ends—Tutors enter At Belmont, Arima and San Fernando a endance online and award 101 prospec ve volunteer tutors student cer ficates started the 6-day ALTA training in
Sat 6 & Sat 13 July BG computer mid-April and 90 are now ready to training: Free two-day introductory improve the reading and wri ng computer session for tutors and skills of adults in our free classes. students. Here is a sample of their thoughts on the ALTA experience so far: Tues 3 & Wed 4 Sept New student - This has taught me to look at registra on at libraries, 9am—6pm learning to read and write in a whole Sun 8 Sept Interna onal Literacy Day new way. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in peoples’ lives Mon 9 Sept Term 1 starts Arima training course but is also a great responsibility.” Sat 5 Oct Reading Circle training. - “This training programme was very New guides urgently needed! ALTA TRAINING TEAM intense. It is highly structured and Arlene Romero Mon 7 Oct Reading Circle & extremely well organised. It was a great Carla Mohammed NALIS Youth Lit (under 16s) start learning experience for me. The Carolyn Walker-Hepburn Sat 26 Oct Annual General Mee ng programme also does a good job of Cheryl Thurab-Prince & Current Tutor Mee ng with prepara on for literacy tutoring.” Deborah O’Neil Regional Coordinators ALTA - “Very well structured course. Keep up Earlyn Wilson Belmont 9am—12noon the excellent work.” Elizabeth King Oliver
- “I appreciate all that I have learnt. This Gem Rowe REFRESHER TRAINING course is needed in schools at primary Gloria Ferdinand 8am—4pm level so that the English language can Hamilton Padmore come into its own. I enjoyed this All con nuing ALTA tutors are Ingrid Stuart learning me immensely.” Jeane e Williams required to a end a one-day refresher as the ALTA programme is Our thanks to faithful partners Bethel Judith Affoo always being updated. 2013 Pentecostal in Arima and Open Bible in Judy Sewsaran refreshers will introduce new San Fernando for accommoda ng us June Hezekiah spelling dic onary pages and a new and bearing with the inconvenience of Lieselle Mohammed strategy for phonic cards. Register some 40 ALTA facilitators and Lilian Ramsaroop and collect homework by July 12. par cipants once a week. Lucia Nimrod Lucien Long Over the past two years ALTA has Lystra Hazarie focussed on building the training team Margot Malcolm Office Dates and this now numbers 29 group Marilyn Jordan Romany Sat 17 & Wed 21 Aug facilitators, of whom 12 are also Belmont Marlene Charles Lev 1 & 2 experienced presenters. Mary Mc Burne e South Sat 24 Aug Lev 1 & 2 ALTA’s resource base was further Paula Lucie-Smith Belmont Sat 24 Aug Lev 3 strengthened by nine expert volunteer Sara Gordon tutors who a ended the training to Sarah Ashraph Fri 13 & Sat 14 Sept Belmont prepare to be class coordinators. Sylvia Gordon All Beginner tutors Tricia Carter Na a 2 ALTA-CSP Partnership Brings Literacy Classes Library Coordinator
to 9 New Communities Leonie Lyons 291-9398 Covigne Embacadere Enterprise ARIMA Mary McBurne e Laven lle: Sogren Trace & St. Barbs Mon Repos 347-7070 Mt. D’Or Patna Sangre Grande: Quash Trace Cheryl Thurab-Prince The ALTA-CSP ini a ve aims to a ract volunteer tutors from CHAGUANAS 665-7610/739-3527 communi es where no volunteers have come forward over the last 20 years. CSP Community Ac on Officers, Community Ac on Councils and Ann Marie Walco 397-4230 ALTA Field Officers rose to this daun ng challenge. Between October COUVA and February, 27 persons from nine communi es started as Vernon Ramlogan 221-5175 appren ces at ALTA classes under the guidance of 16 mentor tutors. Of these, 24 were able to commit to teaching star ng in September MAYARO Agatha Williams and invited to train as tutors. 21 have successfully completed tutor 681-7683/630-3259 training and will con nue to work with their respec ve mentor tutor Lyne e Frederick un l the end of the academic year. This will ensure that the new tutors PT. FORTIN 777-1219/371-3524 are fully prepared to set up their own classes. A very produc ve planning session with ALTA-CSP Camille Parmassar PORT OF SPAIN 742-0946 tutors, their field officers (to become their class coordinators), Paula Lucie-Smith and Project Myrna Jones Manager Marlene Charles on Saturday 15 June PRINCES TOWN 712-2548 equipped each community with a detailed ac on Pat Noel plan to introduce ALTA, customized to the needs, 779-3459 op ons and condi ons of their specific community. Indira Roopan Kathy-Ann SAN These 21 dynamic and resourceful tutors are certain 291-0221 Dickson from FERNANDO Olive Brizan-Wilson to create thriving ALTA classes within these new Patna trains at 335-2035 loca ons. Belmont Jane Amman 620-2691
New Student Registration Marsha Sco SANGRE 668-3219 Tues 3 & Wed 4 Sept GRANDE mainhouse67@yahoo. com At public libraries 9am—6pm
Please offer help with our 2013 campaign so this can reach those who Andrew Neehall SAN JUAN 389-0077/675-3866 are wai ng for an opportunity to improve their literacy. ALTA needs: lawrence9@ts .net. Students and tutors to be featured in ALTA TV, press & radio interviews. Their experiences are what really works to get those Jean Rahaman with low literacy to act to improve their reading and wri ng skills. SIPARIA Lutchman (Contact Karelle or Joanne at Belmont: karellec@alta- .org or 362-1688/368-2230 altapos@alta- .org) Marlene Wilson McNeil 752-1798 Tutors to distribute flyers, put up posters in places with a flow TUNAPUNA through of people, and make announcements at their churches or Sandra Branch 718-7427 any group/club they belong to. Sponsors for radio and newspaper ads WARRENVILLE Deanma ee Tutors to take a shi for student registra on at the libraries. REGIONAL Rambally (Contact library coordinator listed on the right). COMPLEX 672-4173
3 CAN YOU HELP? Reading Companion Venue Days & Times Mon: 10am-12 noon & 4-6 pm Reading, it’s Life! Articles ALTA Wed: 4—6 pm ALTA student or tutor wri ng is Belmont featured every Thursday in the Fri: 10 am—12 noon Trinidad Guardian Lifestyle Sec on. NALIS POS Tues: 4- 6 pm ALTA needs your wri ng to keep this column alive and exci ng! Please ALTA San Fernando & Arima To start October 2013 email student and tutor wri ng to alta @yahoo.com. Original Writing Needed
ALTA Office Assistance for IBM Reading Companion Over July-August, ALTA needs help to The IBM Reading Companion is a free, web-based, voice-recogni on prepare for the new academic year subscrip on ALTA has been using for the past year at Belmont and and student registra on, e.g. sor ng NALIS POS to build fluency in reading. and compiling incomplete card sets, ALTA wants to take advantage of the opportunity to upload local packaging class materials. This is a content to the Reading Companion site for use by literacy students good opportunity for teens to get subscribed to the service, worldwide. Do you have any stories, poetry work experience and clock up or factual pieces you are willing to share? volunteer hours for their CV. We would like to invite submissions of such topical, a en on Staff Vacancy grabbing pieces from our extended community of tutors, ALTA Clerical Assistant (Full- me) student-writers and other friends that may be aspiring writers. minimum of 5 CXC passes, must be Accompanying illustra ons and/or photographs are also greatly proficient in Microso Office Suite appreciated. and Internet Explorer. Kindly note that we require that all submissions be unpublished, non- copyrighted pieces, as copyright is assigned to IBM once the work is Contact Office Manager Teheli uploaded to the Reading Companion site. In addi on, tutors Sealey, 624-3442/tehelis@alta- .org submi ng students’ wri ng must ensure that they have the student’s permission to do so, and must indicate whether the student wishes to ALTA Ambassadors have his or her full name a ached to the work. Let’s create a Reading ALTA is ge ng more requests for Companion virtual library that keeps Caribbean and Interna onal outreach ac vi es ranging from students coming back for more! talks to PTAs and Rotary Clubs to booths at open days at schools, More guides are also needed to consistently offer this new service, companies and government so spread the word among computer-literate friends and rela ons. A agencies. Join the team of ALTA brief induc on is all you need. Email: alta @yahoo.com or call ambassadors so you can bring the Joanne (624-2582) if you are interested. ALTA message to prospec ve tutors and students.
Call Karelle at 624-3442 or email: Students at ALTA alta @yahoo.com Belmont using the IBM Reading Companion virtual library.
4 Youth Lit 2013 THANKS TO SPONSORS ALTA and NALIS 2012-2013 Youth Lit The Price Family Charitable Fund - programme, now in its 5th year, started The philanthropic Founda on of with 79 Level 1 and 51 Level 2 students. Pricesmart Limited, the Price Family Classes were held at 10 public libraries with Charitable Fund has con nued its 14 tutors. rela onship with ALTA, through a At the eight gradua ons held by mid-June, dona on in late May. cer ficates were awarded to 27 Level 1 students and 19 Level 2 students. Brimont Services Ltd visited ALTA’s NALIS Youth Lit , St. James Belmont facility on Mon 29 April Transcripts were also distributed to all and made a dona on towards the students par cipa ng in the programme. At the Chaguanas gradua on programme. the feature speaker was Mr. Marcus Kissoon, from the Rape Crisis Centre, whose speech focused on the topic of “Bullying”. Clifford Payne made a contribu on The Port of Spain Youth Lit to ALTA in memory of his wife Eva gradua on was also well received Payne, the first ALTA tutor in Santa by all those who a ended and Cruz. This will sponsor the current generated some very posi ve ALTA class in Santa Cruz. feedback from parents, which are highlighted below: American Women’s Club of a. They had been searching for a Trinidad and Tobago donated a programme like ALTA' s to remedy computer. deficits in their children' s learning NALIS Youth Lit students with tutors which had started since primary The Canadian Women’s Club of (left)—Arima school. Trinidad and Tobago made a b. They found the programme dona on following a talk to the useful since they were able to see good progress in their children. Club by ALTA’s Resource c. They felt that the Youth Lit programme should be adver sed as widely Development Officer M’aisha as the adult one, since many other children could also benefit from such Thomas. classes. Agos ni’s Limited: A two-year Deed Visit by New Canadian High Commissioner of Covenant. As part of our on-going rela onship with the Government of Canada, his Excellency, Gérard Latulippe, Canadian High Commissioner to Trinidad COSTAATT made a dona on via and Tobago, visited ALTA on 18 March, 2013. their “Social Entrepreneurship” He met with Level 3 students and was briefed on the successful Canada students, through their Fund sponsored classes in East “Changemakers” Project. They also Port of Spain. The Canada Fund solicited funds from corporate sponsored the ALTA classes at sponsors on ALTA’s behalf, which Laven lle Open Bible, Duke St yielded a sponsor-a-student Pentecostal and Russell Latapy dona on from a new contact, School, Morvant and the purchase Worldwide Bankers Reinsurance. of high/low books for ALTA.
Visit of the New Canadian High Commissioner
5 SPONSOR-A-STUDENT AFETT Woman of Through ALTA’s Sponsor-a-Student programme, members of the public Influence 2013 In March, ALTA’s CEO and can cover the cost to see one or Founder, Paula Lucie-Smith was more of our students through the awarded the Woman of academic year at a cost of TT$500 Influence—Social Entrepreneur per student or for a single term, at TT$180. Speak with M’aisha at Award 2013. AFETT, the ALTA’s Belmont office for forms, Associa on of Female Execu ves of Trinidad and Tobago, defines 624-2582 or download from our social entrepreneurs as those website www. alta- .org. persons whose trailblazing
efforts improve the ONLINE DATABASE opportuni es and quality of life Paula receives her award from AFETT RUNNING SMOOTHLY & for women. The award salutes President Marlene Charles TRAINING AVAILABLE women whose courage and Tutors are repor ng that the determina on bring to our a en on the plight of other human database, re-built by developer beings – o en at great personal sacrifice – changing the way we Ghislaine Agos ni, is easy to use to think and interact with our world. enter their students’ a endance and end-of-level evalua on. A An ALTA First: Author Oonya Kempadoo number have commented on how helpful being able to see their Introduces Students to Creative Writing students’ en re ALTA history is, On Saturday 20 April, the NGC Bocas Lit Fest, sponsored by the Ansa providing valuable insights and McAl Founda on, offered an exci ng workshop at NALIS POS to 12 allowing them to make be er Level 3 students: Wri ng from a Defining Moment conducted by decisions. Oonya Kempadoo. Oonya is a prize-winning author of three novels For tutors who are having access and was named a Great Talent for the 21st Century by the Orange problems, Joanne Phillip at Belmont Prize judges. is just an email away: Oonya took the ALTA students into the realm of sensory experience joannep@alta- .org. “to get to the essence of what you want to say, to begin to find your ALTA will be providing training to voice and originality”. They used a powerful memory or observa on coordinators and tutors who would to write, supported by four ALTA tutors. All proudly read their essays like to improve their internet and at the end of the session and have been working to complete these computer skills. If you are and send to Oonya for her personal, individual feedback. interested in this, email Joanne for Each piece of wri ng will be featured in the “Reading - It’s Life” ALTA Belmont training or the branch column in the Guardian. One student's wri ng is featured on page 7. office near to you. A special thank you to Oonya Kempadoo for sharing her skills and for generous dona on of 12 copies of her first novel Buxton Spice to the PUBLICATION ALTA library. Oonya is willing to offer the workshop at Bocas next Revised edi on of Book 3, Level 2 year, so we hope Bocas, Ansa McAl Founda on and NALIS can again A Programme join to offer ALTA level 3 students this rare opportunity.
6 A New Start in My Life! ALTA STUDENT’S In the year 1996, I came to Trinidad to start a new life. I started working CONTRIBUTION NOW $20 as a live-in domes c worker in the area of Princes Town. I worked there for one year because the people I was working for was a police officer and ALTA has kept our student his wife was a caterer. contribu on towards their books and learning aids at $15 for more A er the year came to an end the couple told me “you would have to go than a decade. Greatly increased back to Guyana because I don't want you to work for anybody.” I said, “I prin ng costs and expanded am not going anywhere, I came to Trinidad to make a life and you cannot deprive me from that.” The couple said, “Well you will see.” services mean that from September 2013 students will contribute $20. The next day I saw a white immigra on van drive up to the house. I was at the back of the house bathing the dog. The couple called out to me VENUE & REGION CHANGES saying, “Pamela, the immigra on officer come to send you back to Open Bible Church, San Guyana.” I didn’t answer, I jumped the fence and ran un l I reached the Fernando (morning). This cane field. I stayed there for four days and three nights. bigger venue will house the I had no food and water. I was sucking on sugar cane for survival but it Level 1 and 2 classes which was very sweet. The surrounding was full of sugar cane beds and drains. have outgrown the small space The scenery had tall green leaves and brown dry broken leaves, which felt at the ALTA South office. like razors. Mayaro: St. Thomas RC School The area smelled like dirty drain water. I couldn’t have a bath for those & Mayaro Government School. four days. A er those came to an end, I walked out to the main road and These replace the bpTT Mayaro waited un l I saw a big Bermudez truck was passing, so I stopped it. The Resource Centre classes. truck driver told me, “What are you doing here in this deserted area?” I ALTA’s regions have been changed said, “please give me a drop to Gulf City.” The truck driver said, “that is slightly. The South West peninsula out of my district but I’ll help you.” I said, “Thank you because I have no money.” A er I had reached my des na on at Gulf City, I walked in the has merged into South under mall and had a seat where I could see the television. Thank God that I Regional Coordinator Gloria always have my passport, birth paper and a small Ferdinand. Princes Town now falls testament in my underwear. in the South East under Regional
Coordinator Agatha Williams. I sat reading my testament and a young lady passed close by me with her children. That me DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION was about ten o’clock in the morning and she passed me again in the evening around five o’clock TRAINING AT ALTA and said to me, “Are your wai ng on somebody?” Mon 5 — Sat 10 Aug LiPS I said, no. Mon 12— Wed 14 Aug Grammar &
The young lady then asked me if I am hungry, I Wri ng with Dr. Tim Conway said, yes. I was happy to hear that because I had Apply to the Dyslexia Associa on of not eaten in days. We sat down and she T&T: 625-5869; info@dyslexia .org ques oned me and I had to find somebody to confide in. I told her everything and she said, I CONDOLENCES could stay by her for a short me un l I got a job ALTA offers condolences to tutors and found somewhere to rent. I was so happy Pamela at the launch of Myrna Jones, Marilyn Rampersad- that God really answered prayer. ALTA’s 20 Years of ALTA Talma and Andre Lee Ling on the magazine in 2012 Pamela McAlphin-Polydon, Level 3 student, Belmont passing of their loved ones.
7 NGC Bocas Lit Fest 2013 by Anna Lucie-Smith
Irvine Welsh leaned back into his chair on stage, casually chewing a piece of gum, cocking his right ankle over the le knee, and l ng up the brim of his blue cap to get a be er view of the crowd streaming in to hear his reading at the na onal library. Welsh doesn’t seem to have aged since 1993, when his debut novel Trainspo ng launched him into the realm of literary superstardom, but years of experience are clear in his ease and naturalness under the bright spotlights of the stage. Outside the rain has been falling steadily since morning, and at 4pm when Welsh’s session is scheduled to start, the streets and car parks of downtown Port of Spain are flooded and the traffic is at a stands ll. But this hasn’t stopped the dozens of people pouring into the room, determined to get a good seat at this much-an cipated event on the 2013 NGC Bocas Lit Fest programme.
This was just one of many packed events at this year’s NGC Bocas Lit Fest, Trinidad and Tobago’s literary fes val and the largest in the Anglophone Caribbean. From 25-28 April, the Na onal Library and Old Fire Sta on buildings were transformed into a colourful fes val plaza buzzing with readers, booksellers, great writers, soon-to-be great writers, famous poets, midnight robbers, spoken word ar stes, musicians, and children, all par cipants in the Bocas project to energise and promote regional wri ng.
Jamaican writer Olive Senior’s event was another packed-out affair. A erwards, she cha ed with CXC students and took photos with beaming schoolgirl fans. At this fes val there are no barriers between the audience and the stars, as they all mingled together in the same ‘liming’ spots and at the fes val café.
Irvine Welsh is perhaps the most famous guest of the NGC Bocas Lit Fest thus far, and certainly the most commercially successful. But when asked what it means to him to be a “celebrity”, Welsh waved his hand dismissively and declared that celebrity is neither here nor there, what really ma ers is money. The audience laughs, but Welsh is dead serious. He knows that he is one of the lucky few who can live comfortably off of his wri ng, and he fears that a ground-breaking debut novel like his wouldn’t get published today. “Nowadays,” he says, “people write into genre-oriented, marketable and sellable holes.”
Changing this rather dismal truth is part of what the NGC Bocas Lit Fest has set out to do, by bringing together publishers, agents, writers and readers; by highligh ng emerging writers in the Bocas New Talent Showcase and open mic events; and by providing writers with monetary support and recogni on in the form of OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature and three new awards launched this year: the Hollick Avron Prize for emerging writers (the inaugural prize was awarded to Trinidadian Barbara Jenkins); the Burt Award for Caribbean authors of young adult fic on; and the Bocas Henry Swanzy Award for dis nguished service to Caribbean le ers.
The NGC Bocas Lit Fest is about more than literature; it celebrates the transforma ve power of words. Already Bocas seems to have made a difference – launching wri ng careers, working alongside literacy organisa ons, and s mula ng new discussions on arts and culture in the local news. These are small indica ons of what can come, as the fes val con nues to grow and to provide a public sphere where M’aisha at the Metropolitan Books bright minds can meet and exchange ideas in a fes ve, open forum. Bocas booth where Bre Cassim kindly displayed ALTA materials.
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